EIHL Team By Team Season Review 2014/15

[hockeyfan207]

Belfast Giants

After a year in which they cantered to a league and conference double the 14/15 season proved to be an instantly forgettable one for the Giants. Having retained the bulk of their championship winning squad it appeared on paper that Belfast would once again be challenging for honours. Sadly though for Belfast fan's it proved one more year too many for much of the team.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but the off season losses of GM Todd Kelman and Coach Paul Adey proved hugely significant in how the Giants season was to pan out. Kelman's influence behind the scenes cannot be underestimated whilst losing Adey meant the Giants had to look for their 3rd coach in three years.With the majority of the 13/14 side retained it meant new coach Steve Thornton had to effectively manage somebody else's team. And whilst this team had undoubtedly been successful it was also an ageing side, and this was to prove to the Giants detriment as the season unfolded. A defence of the title never really materialised with consistency proving a major problem. A winning streak of five games proved to be the longest Belfast were to manage and this was never going to be enough to sustain a title challenge. Knocked out of the Challenge Cup by Cardiff the Giants managed to exact their revenge in the post season, knocking the Devils out at the quarter final stage of the playoffs. A lack of consistently continued to plague them however as they were knocked out at the playoff semi final stage by eventual winners Coventry Blaze.

Of the team itself few performed to expectations. A lack of a real goalscorer proved an issue with no player in the side managing to hit the 30 goal mark. A lack of wins against their fellow Erhardt sides again indicated at a lack of quality within the forward lines. Of the forwards only Raymond Sawada and Mike Kompon achieved point a game status, while the likes of Kevin Westgarth disappointed. Luck was also not on the Giants side as they lost key netminder Stephen Murphy to injury early on in the season. His replacement Carson Chubak proved capable but Murphy was certainly missed by the Belfast D.

Next year will therefore prove to be a make or break year for Coach Thornton. He can legitimately claim that this years side was not 'his' team. Such excuses though will not be accepted next year and a repeat of this season will simply not be tolerated. And it is a big rebuilding task that Thornton has to undertake. In order to achieve success next year it is imperative the Giants bring the age of the side down. With the rumoured retirements of D men Calvin Elfring and Robby Sandrock this process looks already to have started. The Giants D could ideally become meaner and more physical whilst the forward lines need to become quicker and more clinical in front of the net. This is going to be a tough ask for Thornton, but for Giants fans this off season could well be the most interesting the club has had in terms of player recruitment for many a year.

Season Grade

D-

Player of the Year

Mike Kompon.

One of the few Giants to perform to expectations, the off season signing from Asia came to the club with much expectation. He more than lived up to the billing and proved to be more than adept at both finding the net and having the ability to set-up his teammates.  A quality all-round centremen, Kompon is one of the few experienced players the Giants will be looking to retain.

[hockeyfan207]

Braehead Clan

For the Clan the 2014/15 season proved to be a mixture of success and that of missed opportunity. Gardiner Conference Winners and a place in Europe for next season was secured, however the Clan narrowly missed out on the League and Challenge Cup Semi Finals before their year ended with a playoff quarter final defeat to the unfancied Hull Stingrays. At the start of the season winning their Conference, qualifying for Europe and coming so close to winning the league would have been viewed as a huge success by the Braehead faithful. However given their league standing going into the final third of the campaign, you suspect many fans will have ended the year disappointed with how the season seemingly petered out when they appeared destined to be crowned league champions. Indeed whilst 'The Purple Army' are undoubtedly behind Elite League Coach of the Year Ryan Finnerty, doubts remain amongst rival fans over his ability to oversee a championship winning side. In 2011/12 his Steelers side seemed destined to be crowned league winners before the bizarrely timed axing of star player Colt King. Sheffield subsequently lost the league title and Finnerty again saw his side knocked out of the playoffs by the Hull Stingrays. Until he therefore wins the league the question will always remain as to whether Finnerty and his players can take the pressure of winning when it matters most.

On the ice the Clan provided huge entertainment to home and opposing fans alike. Boasting both goals and toughness in abundance games against Braehead were never dull. 5 players scored at over a point a game whilst Stefan Meyer, Leigh Salters and Scott Pitt all hit over 30 goals apiece. Add to that the fact 4 players boasted over 100+ pims each and it was quite clear that the Clan could not only find the net, they were also more than willing to engage in the rough stuff when necessary. Add in goalie Kyle Jones with 9 shutouts to his name over the course of the season and all the ingredients seemed to be in place for a season of great success. 

So why then did the Clan fail to clinch the league title? In our season preview we questioned whether having your two premier enforcers on D was the right way to go. Given Fitzgerald and Frank's history it was always likely they would face suspension at some point in the campaign. Duly enough the DOPS stung them at the worst possible time, banning the pair for a combined 9 games towards the end of February. This combined with an injury to offensive defenceman Ryan Kavanagh ultimately proved fatal to the Clan's title hopes ast hey lost crucial games against the Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers. With this in mind expect Coach Finnerty to next year retain but redistribute his toughness more towards the forwards, where the effects of losing a player to suspension is much less felt.

Season Grade

B

Player of the Year

Kyle Jones

This accolade could have been given to any number of players, but the returning Netminder takes it after securing a remarkable 9 shut outs in the year. After an inconsistent first year with the club Jones took his game to another level during the 14/15 season. He kept his game at a phenomenal level throughout and really deserved a championship medal for all his efforts. Whilst this was ultimately not to be, it in no way takes away from his performances throughout the season.

Honourable mentions should also go to Meyer, Salters and Trimm who each had outstanding seasons in their own right.

[hockeyfan207]

Cardiff Devils

In what has been an incredible 12 months down at the BBT, the Devils fans have borne witness to a remarkable turnaround in their sides fortunes both on and off the ice. This time last year Cardiff had failed to secure a playoff spot and a fans revolt against then owner Paul Regan was taking place. Fast forward 12 months and the Devils are under new ownership, have just narrowly missed out on the league title and claimed their first piece of silverware in eight years in the form of the Challenge Cup. What therefore has sparked this change in fortune?

The tide began to turn for the Devils back in June 2014 with a new ownership group fronted by Steve King taking over from the much maligned Paul Regan. Andrew Lord was appointed player coach and he quickly put together an old school Cardiff team who played a tough no nonsense style of hockey aided by players with a scoring touch and outstanding goaltending in the form of Brit Ben Bowns. The Devils were to score more goals than any other elite league side and this was evident in the sheer depth of their scoring. They had in total seven players who hit 20 plus goals. Add into the mix two of the leagues best offensive defencemen in Andrew Hotham and Carl Hudson and its easy to see why Cardiff were able to sustain a title challenge. Out of all the teams in the league they were the most well rounded-combining skill,speed,size and toughness to form a formidable lineup.

Why then did they fail to win the league or qualify for the final four of the playoffs? There appears to be no one specific reason for this though their are areas that Lord will certainly want to address in the summer. League Champions Sheffield certainly had more Brit depth in the forward lines, and with the exception of Matthew Myers the Devils lack any real stand out British forwards. With Nottingham and Braehead already stating they intend to roll four lines next season this is an area Lord must certainly address, particularly as the Devils will also be venturing into Europe. The lack of experience of coach Lord also most probably played a part in their failure to secure a championship. He had already massively exceeded the start of season expectations and he will now have a much better idea of how to handle the pressure of a title challenge. Next year though there will be much more expectation on the Devils and that in itself brings a different type of pressure which Lord will have to demonstrate he can cope with. Overall though as a first year coach he did exceptionally well and with him remaining at the helm and a new home for the Devils on the horizon the future down in Cardiff appears to be very bright indeed.

Season Grade

A-

Player of the Year

Joey Martin

Martin came to Cardiff under the weight of expectation and proved to be the most inspired signing of the Devils off season. 83 points in 62 games tells its own story as he demonstrated an ability to both find the net and tee up teammates. One of the most well rounded players in the EIHL, he is an essential resigning if the Devils are to once again push for the title next season.

Honourable mentions also to Bowns, Hotham and Clarkson,each of whom enjoyed fantastic seasons.

[hockeyfan207]

Coventry Blaze

In years to come the 2014/15 season will go down amongst Coventry fans as one of the strangest and most extraordinary that they have ever witnessed. At Christmas they appeared certain to miss the out on the playoffs and the prospect of silverware that season seemed but a distant dream. Fast forward 4 months and following the sacking of Coach Marc Lefebvre, vastly experienced interim Chuck Weber was to lead the Blaze to Playoff Final glory in Nottingham.

Their first trophy in 5 years followed on from an impressive run of 16 wins from their final 22 games. At the start of the season though results proved to be frustratingly inconsistent, and after the first two months of the campaign the Blaze appeared stuck very much in a downward spiral heading towards the bottom of the league. Somewhat inevitably, Lefebvre was to leave the team in mid November with new coach Weber coming in at the start of the following month. Webers' presence though did not initially have a positive impact on the Blaze as they went on a 7 game winless run at the start of December. Having assessed his squad Weber was to release star defenceman Rory Rawlyk at the turn of the year and this seemed to galvanise the team as their form slowly began to pick up. Indeed by the middle of February they had become the form team in the league and they were to take this momentum all the way to the end of the season as they deservedly took the playoff title.

The side itself though struggled for goals throughout the season and with no player hitting the 20 goal mark this is an area that must be addressed in the summer if the Blaze are to continue on an upward curve. Coach Weber utilised the assets he had and made the Blaze extremely strong defensively. In Brian Stewart they had the best goaltender in the league,whilst in Jorgensen, Cescon, Dacosta, Egener and Smith they had an incredibly strong defensive core on which to build from. Build on that they did and come the playoff finals they were able coax goals out of the likes of the underwhelming Jermene Tendler to ensure they achieved playoff success. If nothing else the Blaze's playoff run has at least demonstrated to other elite league sides the value of placing an experienced bench coach at the helm, and the Coventry owners will surely explore ways of keeping him at the club.

Season Grade

B

Player of the Year

Brian Stewart

Quite literally a towering presence for the Blaze this year, Stewart was rightly crowned EIHL Netminder of the Year. Having played more games and faced more shots than any other eihl netminder he still somehow managed to have the best save percentage in the league at an impressive 92.3%. A specialist at saving penalty shots, Stewart was the only consistent in a remarkably inconsistent season for the Blaze.

[hockeyfan207]

Dundee Stars

After winning the Gardiner Conference and finishing the 2013/14 season third in the EIHL, expectations were high that the Star's 2014/15 team could emulate or even better there predecessors achievements. Having signed proven EIHL talent in Chris Blight, Matt Ryan, Brad Plumton and Jade Galbraith- and having retained key Brits Paul Swindlehurst and Sam McCluskey- Dundee appeared well set-up for success. Indeed having added Ahler's John Mitchell and Igor Gongalsky, and well as former Nhler Kevin Quick, it appeared inconceivable that they would finish the year bottom of the Elite League. Sadly though for Stars fans their team was to suffer an abysmal season, winning a total of only 14 league games in comparison to the previous years 28 wins.

Where though did the season go wrong? For player coach Jeff Hutchins the problems started before a puck was dropped with Paul Swindlehurst offered a try-out in America and key signing Jade Galbraith eventually refused a visa. Though Swindlehurst was to eventually return from America in the November, by then the Star's season had started disastrously. Results were never to pick up and the back end of November and early part of December saw the departure of key forwards Rob Ricci, Matt Ryan and John Mitchell. Sean Ringrose and James Isaacs were brought in however there was little in the way of an upturn in fortunes and Dundee were to finish  a mammoth 14 points off a playoff spot as well as finishing bottom of the Gardiner Conference.

Aside from mid season departures the Star's clearly suffered from a lack of discipline, clocking the third highest amount of Pims in the Elite League despite finishing only sixth for team fights. Brad Plumton was to prove particularly culpable as he totalled a huge 371 pims despite only receiving seven fighting majors.

Undoubtedly though the losses of Elite League Goalie of the Year 2014 Dan Bakala, player assistant coach Nakita Kashirsky and offensive defencemen Rory Rawlyk had the biggest impact on the Stars 2014/15 season. Despite the impressive roster that was put together these 3 players were simply not replaced and as such Dundee could not take the previous years momentum forward.

Where the Star's go now is of great interest. Having today departed with player coach Jeff Hutchins they will have to make a choice of whether to bring a brand new player coach into the league or look for someone who has proven EIHL experience. Whoever takes over though can be expected to be tasked with putting together a roster on a vastly reduced budget compared with the previous year, so expect Dundee to go down the route of the Stingrays and sign the bulk of their squad straight out of college. Whoever the new man at the helm is though, Star's fans will certainly not tolerate another season like that of 2014/15.

Season Grade

F

Player of the Year

Kevin Quick

One of the few players to emergence with any credit from a shambolic season, Quick performed solidly and showed flashes of his NHL pedigree.

[hockeyfan207]

Edinburgh Capitals

After a miserable 2013/14 season were the Capitals registered only 14 wins in total the 2014/15 campaign saw Coach Richard Hartmann move towards a more hybrid European/North America style as he sought to improve his teams fortunes. In our season preview we predicted an improved season for the Caps, but one in which they would ultimately just miss out on a playoff place. This proved to be exactly the case as Edinburgh finished in ninth, just one point off the playoffs. Nevertheless this improvement was not enough to see Player Coach Hartmann remain for another year, with the popular Riley Emmerson instead taking over the reigns for 2015/16.

The off-season had seen Hartmann enter the American market for more or less the first time, as he opted for a tougher, grittier style to his team. In came tough guy Emmerson, D man Joe Grimandi, returning sniper Rene Jarolin, forward Greg Collins along with the likes of college graduate Dennis Rix and first year pro Kyle Flemington. Lukas Bohunicky and Marcel Petran completed the defence, whilst Tomas Hiadlovsky and Jade Portwood returned for their third years at Murrayfield. 

The season itself proved hugely frustrating for Edinburgh as they went from one extreme to the other. Following a staggering run of 14 straight losses, they immediately went on a run of 8 wins and an OT loss from the next 10 games. This was followed up with another horrendous run of 11 straight losses, before a final push for the playoffs saw them take 11 out of a potential 14 points in February. The season ending ban to Joe Grimandi certainly did not help the Caps cause but ultimately it was the inconsistently of the team which cost them a playoff place.

New player coach Riley Emmerson's first task will be to decide which players he wants to retain for next year. The squad was undoubtedly talented and showed at times the potential it had. However with Rene Jarolin the only points per game player in the side, an increase in offensive production will certainly be required for next season. The Caps also lack any real EIHL quality Brits and this also needs to be urgently addressed. If they can do this however then their should be no reason why they cannot build on the foundations laid this year and go onto emulate the likes of the Stingrays and the 2013/14 Stars team.

Season Grade

C-

Player of the Year

Riley Emmerson

The surprise package of the side, many predicted the heavyweight enforcer would be gassed by the end of October. The big man though was to prove his doubters wrong, accumulating 32 point in 50 games playing as both a forward and defenceman  whilst also protecting his teammates. A clear fan favourite he has now deservedly been given the opportunity to the coach the Caps and it will be intriguing to see what type of side he builds this offseason.

[hockeyfan207]

Fife Flyers

After a sensational end to the 2013/14 season which culminated in the Flyers making the 2014 Playoff Finals, hopes were high going into the 2014/15 campaign that the team could kick on and finally establish themselves as one of the premier clubs outside of the arena teams. With the bulk of the team retained, and with the impressive additions of forward Chris Auger and offensive defenceman Jamie Milam, a Top 6 finish and a Gardiner Conference title push appeared a realistic possibility.Neither though came to fruition, as Fife scrapped into the playoffs by a point and finished a huge 18 points off Gardiner title winners Braehead Clan. What therefore went wrong with the Flyers season?

On paper the team performed somewhere near to expectations. Five players hit 20+ goals and four players were well over point a game players. Goaltender Kevin Regan had a strong season, posting a 90.2% save percentage, while Jamie Milam hit 39 points from defence. Dig a little deeper though and it becomes clear the Flyers suffered from a remarkable lack of consistency. Big wins were posted with 6-1,5-1,5-0,8-3,9-3,5-0 and 5-1 scores underlying the talent within the squad. Equally though Fife were to be on the receiving end as they posted 8-1,6-1,7-2,8-2,5-0 and 5-1 losses. A lack of team toughness-especially in a bigger, tougher Gardiner Conference- also proved a crucial factor. Matt Nickerson remained the best enforcer in the league, but aside from Tom Muir, the Flyers had no one else with the ability to stick up for themselves. Nickerson could not be on the ice at all times, and teams took advantage, often turning Nickerson down whilst imposing themselves on the rest of the Fife team. Injuries and suspension also played its part with only five imports icing the full 60 game season. Above all else though the Flyers failed to move on during the offseason. Whilst the 2013/14 year had ended spectacularly, until the January of that year Fife had been incredibly poor. Post season other teams had looked to improve and progress. Flyers on the other-hand looked content to keep what they had and consequently,like Belfast, they suffered. Expect big changes in Fife next year, with a freshening up of the squad essential. Look for the Flyers to add increased speed, size and team toughness to their side.

Season Grade

D

Player of the Year

Kevin Regan

Returning for a second year, Regan had a strong and more assured campaign than his first. With the joint second highest amount of shutouts recorded in the league, and a save percentage of 90.2%, Regan was a relative consistent in a hugely inconsistent Flyers team.

Honourable mention to Matt Nickerson for once again proving himself to be the best enforcer in the league, despite having no other physical players in which to share glove dropping duties with.

[hockeyfan207]

Hull Stingrays

The 2014/15 season proved to be one of the most remarkable in the club's history. After a turbulent off season that saw hugely popular coach Slyvain Cloutier controversially depart and a hostile takeover of the club fail, it was left to newly appointed player coach Omar Pacha to build a team that would emulate the success of the Cloutier years. With Pacha and Lauzon the only returning imports from a relatively successful 2013/14 season, it appeared highly unlikely the club would build on the progress of the previous year. Coach Pacha then took what was viewed as a huge gamble, as he built a team consisting in the main of first year pros and guys straight out of college. This was something that was practically unheard of in the EIHL era and as a consequence the majority predicted a bottom placed finish for the Rays. Indeed this view was further compounded when Kurtis Dulle, one of the few experienced pros on the roster, left the team after just one preseason game. The Stingrays though were to prove there doubters wrong as they secured 7th position in the league and qualified for the playoff final weekend for the second time in four years, agonisingly losing to the Sheffield Steelers with 3 seconds of the game left to go. 

The very start of the season had proved hugely frustrating as a combination of a lack of a preseason (due to an upgrade to the Hull Arena), and a bedding in of new pros meant that results did not match the effort and performance put in by the team. A early season 6-1 win in Nottingham proved that these new pros had the speed and skill to win at Elite level, but a failure to win at home against teams who sat back and used their size meant questions were raised about the Ray's ability to match their pretty hockey with the 'dirty' goals that were needed to win games. The early season departure of rookie CJ Chartrain evidently proved a blessing as it allowed Hull to add some much needed size and grit to the forward lines with the signing of Will Frederick. Matt Larke departed soon after, with the Rays once again upgrading with the signing of Jordan Knox. These changes appeared to galvanise the team and as each individual began to learn there roles on the team, results began to become more readily. Rookie forwards Jordan Mayer and Cory Tanaka, along with assistant coach Carl Lauzon provided the side with goals while Eric Galbraith and Will Frederick added size upfront and also answered questions about the sides toughness, dropping the gloves and fairing well against league heavyweights Craig Cescon and Chris Frank respectively. At the back Yan Turcotte gave the Ray's a mean streak on D, whilst Brendan Jamison proved himself to be one of the standout defenceman of the Stingrays era. In net David Brown improved month on month and by playoff time proved himself to be a pivotal figure in the Rays team. Whilst results were never consistent, Hull demonstrated their ability on any given night as they beat every team in the league both home and away barring Sheffield and Cardiff. This ability meant they would always be one of the most dangerous sides to play in the playoffs and this proved to be exactly the as they beat second seeds Braehead Clan,before running the Steelers all the way in their Semi Final.

For Hull the biggest headache will be retaining player for next season. Given pre-season expectations there season proved to be an unmitigated success and there previously unheard of players are now very much on the radar of clubs at home and abroad. Expect Pacha to build a similar type of team for next year, albeit with a little more size both upfront and at the back. The playoff semi final though epitomised what Pacha is trying to achieve in Hull-he wants a young,quick,intense,hard forechecking team who never know when they are beaten. Expect a similar type of team for the 2015/16 season.

Season Grade 

B+

Player of the Year

Eric Galbraith

Signed straight from college, Galbraith proved himself to be the architectural modern day power forward. With size, agility,speed,heavyweight toughness and an ability to find the net he proved that aside from Leigh Salters there is no better power forward in the league. After a solid but slow start to his EIHL career, Galbraith seemed to really find his role after his first professional fight with the tough Craig Cescon. Having shown he can trade with the very toughest in the league, his physical play noticeably went up a notch. He began to drive the net more and protect his teammates, with opponents now fearing going into the corners with him. His performance in the semi final of the playoffs demonstrated to the entire league as to what he is all about, and he deservedly took many plaudits for the sheer intensity and skill of his play. If the Stingrays can resign him it would prove a huge coup to the club.

[hockeyfan207]

Nottingham Panthers

The 2014/15 season proved to be a somewhat strange and anti climatic one for Panthers fans. Having failed to either retain their 2012/13 League Title or qualify for the final four of the playoffs, their was an expectation that this year's team would return to the high standards set by the 2012/13 vintage. And whilst their were some undoubted highs- winning in Europe against Hamburg, the 7-2 thumping of rivals Sheffield, and the five and six nil victories over Coventry and Braehead- the feeling at the end of the year was that of a Panthers side that had underachieved. The venture into Europe and a raft of injuries to the likes of players such as Craig Kowalski, Stevie Lee, David Clarke, Chris Higgins, Cody Wild and Bruce Graham certainly did not help the teams cause. Nevertheless given the resources the Panthers have, it is hard to argue against those that say they underachieved.

Team recruitment from the very start appeared questionable. The emphasis appeared to be very much placed on the CHL, with extra signings made specifically for their European adventure. Whilst the class of likes of Coby Cohen, Nathan Robinson and Martin Podlesak cannot be disputed, one has to question how these extra signings effected both the dynamic of the team and the overall budget for signing 'league' players. Coach Neilson had clearly wanted a quicker and more mobile team for Europe, but in doing so he sacrificed size and toughness and this certainly had an effect on their Elite League campaign. Choosing to release Leigh Salters was an odd move to say the least, whilst the failure to add size and toughness to the backend meant opposing teams forwards enjoyed much success against them. Though Mattis Modig proved an able deputy to Kowalski he was not of the same level and the Panthers dearly missed their number one netminder. The lack of balance and cohesion in the side was further highlighted by the fact that Chris Lawrence was the only player to hit 20+ goals in the campaign. Until the late season arrival of Guillaume Doucet, the Panthers lacked any real sniper- the fact they ranked only sixth in the league for goals scored is a telling stat.

Despite these failings however the Panthers remained in League contention until the final weeks of the season, whilst they were also crowned Erhardt Conference Champions. With Coach Corey Neilson recently announced as returning he therefore has to take the decision as to whether to orchestrate a full rebuild of the squad, or to simply tweak the team he has at present. Whichever option he chooses to take, a new netminder will almost certainly be required, whilst he must ensure the 2015/16 side has adequate goals, size and toughness within it. If he fails to address these issues then a further season without success would appear on the cards, and if that proves to be the case then this time next year Coach Neilson could well find himself being handed his P45. A big season for the Panthers and himself awaits.

Season Grade

C-

Player of the Year

Robert Farmer

Despite being much maligned for his fighting ability, Farmer proved himself to be the most improved fighter in the league during the 2014/15. With no recognised tough guy on the team, Farmer took it upon himself to perform the role of 'enforcer' as he stepped up to protect his teammates and galvanise his team. Add in the fact he was the Panthers second highest points scorer and it easy to see why Framer has earned the respect and plaudits of his teammates and fans alike. One of the few real positives to come out of the season, this was the year Farmer stepped up and become a truly irreplaceable player to his team.

[hockeyfan207]

Sheffield Steelers

2014/15 proved a memorable season for Steelers fans as their side clinched their first league title in four years. Gerard Adams had come in mid way through the previous year and guided the side to a play-off championship and, with a full preseason with which to mould a team of his own, he set about building a team that was watertight at the back whilst boasting a hatful of goals up top.

The signings of Roy,Forney, Fretter and the controversial Tyler Mosienko proved inspired as they hit a combined 137 goals between them. The mid season signing of Jeff Legue further boosted their firepower up top whilst the ever reliable Rob Dowd and surprise signing Ben O'Conner meant Sheffield boasted two of the top five Brits in the league. At the back Gord Baldwin and Dustin Kohn proved ever reliable stay at home D men whilst new signings Cullen Eddy and Darryl Hay provided toughness and solidity respectively. Frank Doyle proved to be a huge presence in net,boasting a strong save percentage at 91.5%. Indeed when Doyle was ruled out for the remainder of the season alarm bells must have started to ring amongst the Steelers supporters, however Coach Adams pulled a signing out of the fire as he picked up goaltender Josh Unice. He was to prove Adams most inspired signing of the year as he recorded 5 shutouts in only 23 games and statistics wise ranked as the number 1 netminder in the EIHL. Credit must be given to Adams here, as if he had got that signing wrong, Sheffield would more than likely have fallen short in the league.

Not all of Adams signings were to prove successful though. Signing an enforcer with a history of concussion problems always appeared risky and Pascal Morency was indeed to retire after only two games in Steelers colours. His successor Daniel Bois enjoyed little joy either, being KO'd in his first game by Clan tough guy Zack Fitzgerald, before subsequently departing after only fifteen games. Jay Latulippe was unable to replicate the success he had enjoyed previously in the EIHL and he was also shown the door midway through the year.

Despite these setbacks though the Steelers proved relentless,efficient and consistent as against the odds they deservedly went on to take the title from under the noses of the Braehead Clan. Their longest winless streak was a mere four games whilst they hit six goals or more in a game on a staggering thirteen occasions.The league title was ultimately though not to prove to be enough however, as defeats in the Challenge Cup and Playoff Final saw the Steelers narrowly miss out on the 'Triple Crown' and saw Coach Gerard Adams surprisingly dismissed post season. The experienced Paul Thompson has since replaced him, and he now finds himself with the unenviable task of bettering Adams achievements and leading the Steelers into Europe.

Season Grade

A

Player of the Year

Mathieu Roy

Came to the league with a big reputation and more than lived up to it. Scored 42 goals and hit 95 points in only 64 games. A huge resigning for Sheffield, he will be there main go to guy for the 2015/16 season. Honourable mentions go to Unice, O'Connor and Forney, who each played crucial roles in their championship winning side.

[Ellunwirl]

What Does Zithromax Do <a href=http://zgdkdz.com>viagra online pharmacy</a> Cialis Online Canada Reviews Candadapharmacy24

[Ellunwirl]

Viagra 100 Mg Einnehmen Cialis Reacciones Secundarias <a href=http://tadalafonline.com>canadian pharmacy cialis 20mg</a> Acheter Viagra Prix Prix Pilule Viagra En Pharmacie Route Of Administration Amoxicillin